


Hand in hand

by Nary



Category: Adventure World (game), Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: April Showers 2013, Awkward Conversations, Class Issues, Domestic, Dragonborn (D&D), Engagement, F/M, Family, Feelings, Friendship/Love, Gay Male Character, Group Marriage, M/M, POV Female Character, Platonic Romance, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Wedding Planning, Wedding Rings, it's complicated - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-04
Updated: 2013-04-04
Packaged: 2017-12-07 10:40:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/747587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nary/pseuds/Nary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ardith waited near the jeweler's shop in Fairmont, wondering where her fiancés were.  Before the dragonborn woman could get too worried or impatient, she spotted Aleyn's lanky form descending from a hired carriage.  He waved to her and hurried up to the little sheltered overhang where she stood.  "I'm so sorry, Vedran had a last-minute meeting come up - he'll be with us as soon as he can, but it'll probably be an hour or so, and he asked me to come and let you know so you wouldn't be kept waiting, and he says he's sorry but it's with Lord... uh, somebody Varades, he's been trying to get to see him for weeks, and it sounded important anyway, but I know he felt really bad..."</p><p>She smiled and held up a hand to still his nervous babbling.  "It's fine, Aleyn, the rings aren't going anywhere.  Maybe until Vedran is able join us we can take a walk together - provided the rain holds off," she added with a glance at the grey clouds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hand in hand

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [There's a word for it in Ahkasic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/705321) by [Nary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nary/pseuds/Nary). 



Ardith waited near the jeweler's shop in Fairmont, wondering where her fiancés were. Before the dragonborn woman could get too worried or impatient, she spotted Aleyn's lanky form descending from a hired carriage. He waved to her and hurried up to the little sheltered overhang where she stood. "I'm so sorry, Vedran had a last-minute meeting come up - he'll be with us as soon as he can, but it'll probably be an hour or so, and he asked me to come and let you know so you wouldn't be kept waiting, and he says he's sorry but it's with Lord... uh, somebody Varades, he's been trying to get to see him for weeks, and it sounded important anyway, but I know he felt really bad..."

She smiled and held up a hand to still his nervous babbling. "It's fine, Aleyn, the rings aren't going anywhere. Maybe until Vedran is able join us we can take a walk together - provided the rain holds off," she added with a glance at the grey clouds.

"Oh, of course," Aleyn agreed readily. He looked uncertain whether to offer his arm or not, so Ardith settled the matter by tucking her hands into the muff she carried. Aleyn shoved his gloved hands into the pockets of his coat and let Ardith lead the way - it was closer to her neighbourhood than his, and he probably didn't know the lay of the land as well. It was a cold day, and walking would help to keep them from getting chilled. Besides, she decided, they could always duck into a boutique if they needed to warm up for a few moments, or if the rain that was threatening decided to fall.

"We, uh, went to the tailor's yesterday," Aleyn said after a short while. "Vedran says we're getting different outfits for each ceremony - I tried to say maybe we could make do with re-using the same ones, but he thought that wouldn't do."

Ardith chuckled - she could imagine the look on Vedran's face, something approaching 'aghast'. "In the formal, public ceremony, it would often be the custom for everyone in the wedding party to change between the temple and the reception," she said, just so she could see Aleyn's eyes widen with amazement. "As we're on something of a short timeline, though, we may have to forego that extra layer of formality." Her own gowns were already going to take long enough to make that she was slightly worried about whether they would be done in time without adding a third to their number.

Aleyn looked relieved at that. Ardith didn't think his dismay was feigned - it really was a totally different world for him, and it must seem strange and even ridiculous at times. She knew he had been working with Vedran on dancing and table etiquette and so forth, and she had no wish to make him feel more anxious about his role in the upcoming ceremonies. "Don't worry," she told him. "For ours, we can do things however we like."

"That's good," Aleyn said, glancing over at her. They were almost of a height, he being only slightly shorter than her, though tall for a human. Vedran was tall as well, and she allowed herself a moment to recollect dancing with him, more comfortably than with many humans she'd had the opportunity to partner with over the years. She hoped they would be well-suited together for things other than dancing as well...

Ardith became very interested in the window of a woodworker's shop all of a sudden, and Aleyn stopped too, peering with bemusement at the cabinets and chests within. "Thinking about furniture?" he asked.

"Oh... a little," she replied lightly. "But we'll have to wait and see what sort of house we end up with first, before we start filling it."

"I imagine it'll be fairly full to start with," Aleyn said with a smile. "At least, with people."

"I was thinking about that. We probably ought to look for one with at least a dozen bedrooms."

Aleyn sputtered. "A dozen? Do they even make houses that big? How many children are you planning again?"

"Not quite that many," she said, laughing. "But if we each have a room to ourselves, and the children each have a room of their own as well - and if we think we might be expecting perhaps two or three or even four more - and then a few rooms for guests... well, a dozen doesn't seem that many, does it?"

"I... I guess not," Aleyn said slowly. "I'm still trying to imagine growing up someplace where everyone has a bedroom all to themselves. Won't they be ...lonely?"

She smiled at that. "There's nothing to stop them from sharing rooms if they want the company - but they'll need places to keep their clothes and their own things, and I'm sure sometimes they'll appreciate having their own private space as well."

"Same for the adults, I guess," Aleyn said, then looked away, his cheeks reddening from more than just the cold. Talking about the childrens' rooms was easier than discussing their own eventual sleeping arrangements, but Ardith thought that perhaps she and Aleyn were on the same page in that regard. They would have to discuss it further with Vedran, of course, but she felt hopeful that some solution would be found that would be agreeable to all of them. She took a final look at an ornately-carved headboard in the shop window and made a mental note that any beds they bought ought to be built at a larger-than-usual size.

Resuming their walk, they continued through the gently-winding streets, meandering in the general direction of Moorcliff and Silver Corners. Shops became fewer and further between, replaced by elegant residences. "Is this the sort of place you'd like to live?" Aleyn asked, gazing at the houses as they passed by.

"Some of these might be big enough," she said, considering the properties with an appraising eye. "We could get lucky and find something in a place like this, or we might have to go a little further up the hill."

"I guess we should get an agent looking for us," Aleyn mused. "...That's how this works, right? Vedran said something about having an agent, anyway."

Ardith nodded. "That would be most efficient, I expect - I don't think any of us has time to hunt down a list of suitable properties to consider. Does he already have someone?"

"Well... he had someone who helped him find his place in Undertow, but I don't know if it's really the same sort of thing... But he might have someone in mind?" 

"All right. We'll ask him when we meet up with him today, then. If he doesn't, I can arrange things once I know what we're looking for."

"Big house - around twelve bedrooms, apparently - and space for an alchemy lab," Aleyn said at once, grinning.

"That's you sorted, then," she teased. "The rest of us might want to have a dining room large enough for entertaining guests, and a music room, and a library, and a nursery or a schoolroom for the children..."

"Oh, right, that stuff," Aleyn said, smiling. "If you insist. Well, the library would be quite nice, actually - but my books will only fill about one shelf."

"We'll get you more," Ardith replied firmly. “As many as you want.”

Aleyn ducked his head. "That's, um, nice of you," he said quietly. Ardith wondered if she had made him feel bad with talk of buying him things. The disparity in wealth had to be uncomfortable for him, she supposed. 

"Aleyn," she began, trying to smooth over the awkward pause, "you know it doesn't matter to me if you have a lot of money, or a title, or a dragonmark." She remembered him saying maybe things would be different if he had any or all of those things, and knew it had to be a sore point for him. "Or to Vedran, I'm sure. He cares for you because of yourself, not because of what you have." She felt a momentary pang - would Vedran have cared for _her_ if she had nothing but herself to offer? It would probably never have been an issue.

He gave her a sidelong glance, seeming to read her thoughts. "For you too," he said eventually. "I mean it," he insisted when she gave a dismissive shrug. "Everyone on that list had dragonmarks and important families and all those things, but he - we - chose you because of who you were as a person.”

"... there was an actual list?" she said, cracking a smile despite herself.

"Oh, yeah, it was huge," Aleyn said, shaking his head as though he still couldn't quite believe it. "Files on everyone, too."

"What did mine say? No, on second thought, I don't want to know," she chuckled. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"Not really," he agreed. "Once we all made up our minds, all that other stuff - what other people thought - seemed less important." He looked thoughtful for a moment, and then, hesitantly, offered her his arm. Ardith took it gladly.

"This is sort of odd for me," he apologized as they continued their walk. "But I hope it's all right."

She nodded. "Odd I can deal with. There isn't really a proper protocol for... us. We're going to have to make things up as we go along. Is that all right with you?"

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't," he said with a crooked smile. "Although apparently there's a word in Ahkasic - my mother reminded me when I told her about this."

"She took it well, then?"

"Pretty well, yeah. She's dying to meet you."

Ardith smiled. "I'm looking forward to meeting her too. But what's the word?"

" _Eirtak_. It means something like, um, co-spouse - people who share a mate. But I'm not sure that's exactly right either for... for what I want," he finished in a rush.

"Oh?" Ardith looked over at him. He met her gaze, and she could tell it was taking an effort for him not to look away. She waited patiently for him to continue, and eventually he did.

"I don't want it to be... you and Vedran, and me and Vedran," he said slowly, measuring the words with care. "There should be something for us too. I just don't know what that looks like, and it confuses me, because I've never felt that way before. And I know you said we're making this up as we go, and that's okay, but..." He trailed off, clearly nervous. She could feel the tension in his arm, almost trembling.

"Remember," she told him gently, "honesty. You can tell me what you're thinking."

"Right." He took a deep breath to continue. "I care for you, Ardith. More than just as a friend, or as the woman Vedran cares for, but for yourself. I like you a lot, and I want to try to ... to work on that, and make it into something more, something solid and real and strong."

"Love," she suggested.

"Right," he said, sounding a little relieved that she'd said it first. "Love."

"But you're not attracted to me." It was half a statement, half a question.

"Not... not the same way I felt for Vedran, or... or other guys before him," he said hesitantly. "It's not like that sort of desire. It's something more ...tender?" He looked over at her, as if judging what sort of reaction that word elicited.

"Affectionate? Romantic?" she offered as other options.

"Maybe," he agreed. "Can you have romance without having sex?"

"I don't see why not," she replied. "Some people do, after all, for all sorts of reasons."

"I'm more familiar with the other way around," he admitted ruefully. "But I guess that just proves they don't always have to go hand in hand."

Ardith squeezed his arm. "They can go however we want them to go," she told him. "I hope that we'll find a way to love each other that makes us both happy - and Vedran as well. Whatever that might entail."

She could feel him starting to relax, and saw the smile spreading across his face once again. It made him rather handsome, in his own way. "Okay. Good. That sounds good to me." He glanced up, peering at the sun that was trying to make itself seen from behind the clouds. "We should get back - hopefully Vedran will be there by the time we do, and then we can look at rings."

A few snowflakes drifted through the air, landing lightly on the brim of his hat, clinging to the fur of her collar for a few moments before melting. It was tentative for now, she thought, and fragile, but it was a start.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr at [naryrising](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/naryrising) if you want to ask questions, make requests, or chat!


End file.
